The present invention relates to packaging articles and in particular to packaging used in the handling and storage of sensitive objects.
Packaging designs vary according to a number of factors which include the sensitivity of the packaged article, the environment to which the package is to be used and such natural expediencies as stackability. The most prevelant packaging design found in the prior art comprises an exterior crate or carton that surrounds the stored object to protect the object from damage through contact with other objects. When packing is to be used for handling more sensitive objects, the exterior crate or carton is normally filled with a resilient packing material which surrounds the sensitive object. The exterior crate then provides a rigid protective shell while the resilient packing material provides any shock absorption necessary to protect the sensitive object within.
With the expansion of the computer component industry, as well as the advances being made in the areas of motor technology, robotics and complex medical equipment, the need for packing materials to be used in the storage and handling of internal replacement parts and the like for such sensitive equipment, as well as for other sensitive industrial devices has increased accordingly.
One problem experienced with existing packing methods is that the sensitive object must itself contact and rest upon the insulating or shock absorbing material. If the sensitive object has a large base which may be supported on the packing material, the resiliency of the packing material may be altered in order to provide the necessary cushioning. However, if the sensitive object has a relatively small support area, a packing material soft enough to provide the necessary cushioning may not also be rigid enough to support the sensitive object. The problems of adequately packing and protecting the object are particularly acute when dealing with sensitive devices that for various reasons cannot be contacted or supported with the exception of a support at a few discrete locations. In such applications the object is often difficult and cumbersome to handle and the packing material cannot adequately support and cushion the stored object without contacting undesirable locations on the sensitive object.